Something Like That
by Bramblerose4
Summary: Rex and Noah run into Claire and Annie at the mall. Established Rex/Noah, Noex. Hints of Claire/Annie


Hello Noex fans. This is just a little something I wrote during my lunch break so don't except anything epic. Unbeta'd as usual. Enjoy!

12/29/11 EDIT: I have gone back and added things to help pad out the story, so helpfully the mistakes I found will be fixed and more enjoyment will be had by all! Bramblerose4

Something Like That

Rex knew that Claire was nearby before he saw her. She was the only person he knew who used grapefruit body wash. A panic ceased him. This would be the first time he and Noah would see Claire since the _unhaunted_ haunted house. To say that the boys weren't exactly on the red head's good side wouldn't be completely out of the question. With a quick eye he scanned the mall looking for the girl, hoping to spot her and steer Noah away before she spotted them.

"Hey Noah!" Claire greeted pleasantly from behind him.

_Crap_, Rex thought, turning around. He saw Noah stiffen next to him as he returned the girl's greeting.

"Hi Claire, Annie," Noah said making sure to include the red head's companion.

"Hello Noah, hello Rex," Annie replied smiling widely at the boys.

"Hey Ann," Rex said, giving her a smile in return. Despite the pain she'd put him through Rex liked Annie, she made him laugh and could be a lot of fun until her clumsiness caused a natural disaster.

There was an awkward moment where nobody spoke, they shared looks and sympathetic smiles until Noah asked. "What brings you to the mall?"

"Shopping," Claire explained and demonstrated the fact by lifting the small accumulation of bags she and Annie had acquired.

"Right," Noah grimaced, blushing in embarrassment for having asked an obvious question. "That is what you do at the mall."

"Amongst other things," Rex offered. Noah threw him a dirty look and Rex blinked and shook his head in apology. He couldn't help himself; he was feeling left out and needed to say something in order to contribute to the conversation. Why was it his fault that it sounded meaner than he wanted it to?

"What are you guys doing here?" Annie asked looking curiously between the boys.

The two teens shared a look before looking away. "We were on our way to the food court."

"Taking in the local cuisine? That's risky." Annie asked and laughed at her own joke.

"Something like that," Rex answered diplomatically.

"We're on a date," Noah blurted out.

Rex, Annie and Claire all looked at Noah in surprise as the declaration caught them off guard. Rex thought he was the one who would crack under the pressure and say it, not Noah.

"I'm sorry?" Claire asked, blinking rapidly as if Noah had spoken in a language she didn't understand.

Noah grabbed Rex's gloved hand. "We're on a date." He stated more confidently.

Rex stared at their entwined hands, pride swelling in him and he applied small pressure to Noah's hand in support. When they first became a couple it was Noah who wanted their relationship to remain secret at least until he left high school. Rex had agreed stating that he wanted Noah to be happy and if remaining secret was what he wanted then that was what Rex would do. Rex grinned in a mix of delight and embarrassment as Noah actually lifted his hand to his lips and kissed it and then instead of letting it go, Noah held Rex's hand to his heart as if it was the most natural thing in the world, like he had always held Rex's hand to his heart. It made his affection for Noah increase as well as the heat in Rex's face.

The four teens once again dissolved into another silence as the information sunk in. To no one's surprise Annie was the one to speak first.

"Congratulations!" the blonde said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Ann," Rex supplied the girl with one of his brightest smiles.

Dropping her shopping bags so bounded over to Rex and Noah and enveloped them in a hug. Rex felt his shoulder pop and judging by the sharp grunt from Noah Annie had done some damage to him as well. "Oh, sorry," the girl said instantly releasing the couple.

"It's alright," Rex reassured her then winced as he rolled his shoulder back into place. He looked over to Noah as the blond mirrored his groan. "Noah?" he asked, his voice betraying his worry.

"I'm fine," Noah answered, but reached out for Rex. The EVO was instantly as his side,taking on Noah's weight in a protective embrace around his waist.

"Take it easy, Noe," Rex advised too busy making sure that Noah was okay to see the look he was giving Claire until he tried to search his blond's face for any signs of pain. Noah's eyes were trained on Claire and Rex followed Noah's line of sight. The red head stood surrounded by Annie's abandoned shopping bags looking at Noah with an unreadable expression until her gaze moved to Rex, he was openly frowning at her and then she broke out into laughter. Not mean, hateful laughter but a genuine pleased sound that made Rex smile in polite confusion.

"It's about time," Claire said placing a hand on her hip.

Noah's mouth fell open in shock. "Excuse me?" he asked shifting his body so more of his weight landed on Rex.

Claire chuckled and shook her pretty red head incredulously. "Please Noah, you think I didn't know how you felt about Rex? You should have giving me more credit."

"But how-"

"Remember when I asked you if knew anyone who could double date for prom?"

"Yeah?" Noah answered with a nod.

"And the first person you thought of was Rex. When I asked you about him, all you could say was how great he was. If I was honest, I would say that you couldn't shut up about how great Rex actually was," Claire said smiling at Rex. "That was the first clue that you felt more for him than you let on. Still, I suppose your praise of him that could have been seen as someone trying hard to make their friend sound good in order to get their way. Which was what I thought at first, but that theory went out the window at the supposedly haunted house when I saw you too in action. Huddling in the corner together, conspiring as only best friends do," she sighed at the memory. "It was then that I saw it."

"Saw what?" Rex asked, unable to stop himself, though this time it was in his eagerness to know what it was that Claire saw then it was in him just wanting to say something.

Claire smiled triumphantly and it was the most beautiful thing Rex had ever seen, besides Noah's. "The way he looks at you. He is in complete awe of you, Rex just as much as you are of him. I've only ever seen that kind of devotion in the movies."

"It's so obvious that I can't believe it's taken you this long to figure it out yourselves." Annie added with a nod.

Rex felt Noah's head rest on the top of his shoulder. The EVO shifted the blond's weight, hoping to make Noah more comfortable. "Were we really that obvious?" he asked, sounding dazed.

"Seems so," Rex replied with a grin. Noah looked up into Rex's eyes and for a moment the two boys stared at one another, Rex took in the deep pink tinge on Noah's face and knew that he sported a similar look.

Annie cleared her throat so loudly that she ended up coughing. "Well, we better get going, right Claire?"she managed.

"Yes, that's right." Claire answered patting Annie gently with a free hand. "We'll see you at school Noah." Claire winked at Noah. To Rex she said, "You take care of him Rex."

"Yeah, sure," Rex promised and tightened his grip on Noah's waist as proof.

The girls gathered their things and started to walk away but not before Annie wrapped an arm around Claire's waist.

Noah and Rex stared after the girls. "You don't think…" Rex let his thoughts trail off as he pointed between Annie and Claire, "that they have what we have?" he finished. Their eyes met in thought before they shook their heads in unison.

"No body has what we have," Noah declared with a grin. "Or something like that," he amended and turned, using Rex as a crutch as he hobbled towards the bright Neon sign of the Food Court.


End file.
